Sea of Red
Halifax West blanks host Riverview 5-0 in final
The Sea of Red took its traditional place behind the Riverview Redmen bench during the championship game of the 40th edition of the Red Cup Showcase, which wrapped up Sunday at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre in Coxheath. But despite the support at the standing-room only arena, the hosts lost the final 5-0 to the Halifax West Warriors. The Glace Bay Panthers won the consolation game 4-0 over the Millwood Knights. The 2017 Red Cup was cancelled due to last year’s dispute between teachers and the province.
Halifax West Warriors goalie Justin Sumarah helped his team capture the 2018 Red Cup Showcase in a 5-0 win over the host Riverview Redmen in the tournament’s championship game on Sunday.
The two teams advanced to the final after they each posted 3-0 records in round-robin play within their respective divisions. With 16 goals scored, the Redmen went into the championship game as the best offensive team, while the Warriors, who allowed just two goals in group play, were the best defensive squad.
And, on this occasion, defense won the day as Sumarah picked up MVP honours to lead Halifax West to its first ever Red Cup title before an estimated crowd of about 1,600 at the County Recreation Centre in Coxheath.
The Warriors scored three goals in the first period to take an early stranglehold on the game. The second period was
scoreless before Halifax West notched two more goals in the third period to further ensure victory.
Samuel Gallant set up the Warriors’ first four goals, while Mitchell Comeau and Ryan Maunder each had a goal and an assist. Patrick Oxner, Ben Penrose and Richard Abbass also scored for the champions.
In the consolation game, the two-time defending champion Glace Bay Panthers, who lost a heart-breaking 1-0 game to Halifax West in the round robin, cruised to a 4-0 win over the Millwood Knights as Christian Jackson led the way with a pair of goals. Cameron Yates and Colin Rosta each added a goal, while Trenton Gove picked up a couple of assists.
Other teams that competed in the tournament were the Memorial Marauders and three Moncton-area teams: Harrison Trimble, Mathieu-Martin and the Olympiens de l’Odyssée.
The tournament, which was established in 1978 by former Riverview principal and head coach Bob MacKenzie, resumed following its cancellation last year due to a teachers’ work-torule campaign.
Riverview vice-principal and athletic director Michelle Coleman said hosting the tournament again is good for both the school and the community.
“It’s great to see the community come out to support this event like it always has,” said Coleman, who noted that the tournament was broadcast live across the province on Eastlink TV.
“Learning is our first priority, but as Bob MacKenzie used to say everyday is game day whether it’s in the classroom or on the ice or the soccer field, so I think that’s a tradition that carries on – we’re seeing student leadership on the ice and in the community.”
With the Red Cup now in the books, the three teams of the Cape Breton High School Hockey League now look to the playoffs.
Riverview clipped Glace Bay 3-0 in the final game of the regular season to claim the league’s regular season title and will now await the winner of the Panthers versus Memorial Marauders best-of-seven series that begins Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. at the Canada Games Complex at Cape Breton University. Game 2 is set for Thursday at 7:10 p.m. at the Emera Centre Northside.